ASHES TOUR OF AUSTRALIA

1951

Visitor Tabs

Description

This is a documentary made by former professional cricket player Bill Bowes showing the Ashes tour of Australia in 1950/51. The film documents the travel over as well as some action from the test matches themselves.

The film opens showing the team leaving Southampton bound for Australia. The team set off and play games on the deck, including a young Brian Close. An Arabian magician entertains some children. The MCC party pose for a photograph on the deck. They are next seen at a cricket ground warming up and practicing.

The players and their families relax on the beach at near Sydney, and swim in the sea. The film switches to show ground staff going over the pitch with rollers, and one of them rolls some soil in his hand to show the texture. There is film of one of the matches where there is a church spire behind the scoreboard. There is then a visit to some prefabs being constructed and to ‘Fishermen’s Bend’ in Melbourne, showing some of the birds. This is followed by a short piece of film of a local cricket match.

On to Sydney and a tour of some of the sights, including the Quay, the Arch Bridge, and the Zoological Park. There is then a substantial amount of good film of a cricket match from behind the bowlers arm and slightly to the side, with spectators sat on a grassy bank on the far side (not sure of the match or who is batting). The film switches to a short snapshot of another match (at Melbourne?), filmed from high up in the stands. Then the players are shown practicing in the nets, with the bowlers demonstrating their different grips.